- July 10, 2020
- Posted by: Mildred Chama
- Category: ZRA News
The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has seized various cases of assorted alcoholic beverages worth over K 1 million.
ZRA Commissioner General Kingsley Chanda, expressed sadness at the continued illegal activities and promised the Zambians and the government that the Authority will not allow this to go on unchecked.
Speaking during a tour of the ZRA Makeni Enforcement Center warehouse and the inspection of smuggled alcoholic beverages, Mr. Chanda expressed disappointment at the levels of smuggling activities which range from false declarations to transit fraud.
Mr. Chanda further stressed that the Authority will go back to ensuring perpetrators lose their goods and transportation vessel as a way of deterring smuggling.
He added fining the smugglers in order to collect taxes was not enough to deter the perpetrators.
The inspection of the track revealed that the consignment which was declared under the Ministry of Education bill of entry and classified as filling cabinets was in fact an assortment of alcoholic drinks intended for sale.
The current truck that has been impounded and issued with a seizure notice is expected to lead to various arrests which will see the perpetrators being charged with various offences among them; false declarations, false representation, misclassification, forgery and smuggling all under the Customs and Excise Act, Chapter 322 of the Laws of Zambia.
The truck containing the alcohol entered the country through Chirundu One Stop Border Post and was being monitored by the Intelligence Unit of the Zambia Revenue Authority using sophisticated surveillance equipment such as drones.
The seizure comes barely few days after the Authority impounded other trucks with alcohol that was declared as onions and fuel that was in transit but offloaded in Zambia.